Tag Archives: choice

This post is the third in a series by Wayne McDonald RScp. Wayne is a licensed practitioner who writes health articles and inspires others to be pro-active in their lives.

Today’s lesson is “Using a Daily Affirmation.”

I have always used a daily affirmation (a mantra) to keep myself centered and to remind myself that whatever is going on around me, I am always a reflection of God.

My daily affirmation is LOVE PEACE JOY. This is how I choose to see the world and I use it to heal the planet.

The other day I was reading 365 Days of Richer Living by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker. The daily affirmation for that day was titled, “My Life Is Easy, For God Is Ruling My Day.”

This is a wonderful, uplifting, and positive affirmation. We are always at choice. We can either get caught-up in all the negative bad things that are happening in our life, or, we can change our thinking. Today I focus on the positive and affirm what I want NOW.

As for the daily grind of going to work each day, we are again at choice. Some people dislike their job – or simply hate going to work each day. For myself, I LOVE MONDAYS.

Monday is my Gratitude Day. When I go to work on Monday, I am so very grateful to have a job, a good pay check, health benefits, a retirement account – plus extra income every month for my saving account and to spend a little on myself.

In 365 Days of Richer Living it says, “Peace fills my mind; love fills my heart and God is always where I am. I discard doubt, for I know that the One Mind knows what to think in me, and what to produce through me.”

At the bottom of the page, the last sentence says, “I thank God for life, and I live this life fearlessly, wisely and lovingly.”

Today you can make a NEW decision. You can make Monday a ‘Gratitude Monday’ and give thanks for all you have, and all you have to share.

My gift to you are these affirmations. Choose an affirmation that sings to your heart and make it your daily affirmation and watch your life transform.

#1 affirmation – Love Peace Joy

#2 affirmation — My Life is Easy

#3 affirmation — I live my life fearlessly – wisely – and lovingly.

And to you – Love Peace Joy

And So It Is

Wayne McDonald, RScp.

Wayne McDonald discovered Science of Mind with Dr. Rev. Maureen Hoyt. Wayne has been Empowering People To Make Pro-Active Health Choices since 1998 with several of his Holistic Health websites. He is a regular Presider at CSL Granada Hills and enjoys sharing thoughts of ‘how Science of Mind has changed his life’. Wayne says, “As a practitioner, I KNOW these teachings work and I welcome the opportunity for others to discover that Truth for themselves.”

If you enjoyed this post in the Life is Easy series, please read our other posts by contributors, ministers and practitioners, and join us for one of our Sunday or Wednesday services at the Center for Spiritual Living Granada Hills. All are welcome!

This blog post is derived from a Five Minute Talk presented by Reverend Jeanne Hoffman at the Granada Hills Center for Spiritual Living.

Today I observe how I court the Beloved, for I am reminded with every breath that the Beloved has courted me and called me to live my life authentically.

Rumi says it so well in the first stanza of his poem, Music…

For 60 years I have been forgetful,

Every minute, but not for a second

Has this flowing toward me stopped or slowed.

I deserve nothing. Today I recognize

That I am the guest the mystics talk about.

I play this living music for my host.

Everything today is for the host.

–Rumi

Rumi also writes at length about the Silence – that space in which we make our divine appointments with the Host – with God – and, not only do we make these appointments, we keep them, allowing nothing to be more important.

There are three things that come so clearly to my mind that my fingers cannot write them down fast enough! Here is how I attend to Spirit so Spirit can attend to me:

Make time several times a day to experience Silence, that Field of Possibility that I hunger for, just as It hungers for me

Wake up and pay attention to what is right in front of me, now; even though I have goals and plans and aspirations, my work is in front of me now

Saying yes to what I am called to do. It is sometimes difficult, and I might not want to do or be whatever “it is.” And, if it is for good, it is for God, and I get to discover something about myself – an illusive piece of the puzzle for which I have been searching

It begins and ends in the Silence. And, as Rumi says,”The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you.”

This blog post is written by Reverend Mike McMorrow, Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Living Granada Hills.

“Why go to church on Sunday?”

This is a question that ministers are asking themselves a lot these days in all denominations across the developed world.

There is good science available that shows that church attendance is down from its high participation rates after WWII, to its present low water mark that has ministers scratching their heads.

At the same time, there is good science that shows that people are considering spiritual matters, they are simply doing it away from churches. People often consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Why is that?

I would say, “Take a look around!”

Every store is open to shopping on Sunday now; in fact there are usually big sales to draw folks in. Kids are playing baseball, soccer, Kumon studies, dance lessons, not to mention the NFL, the NBA, MLB, even NASCAR, movie channels– all on Sunday mornings now. And if you really want to stay informed, there are countless ‘news’ shows on to fill one’s head with a good dose of ‘Ain’t it awful!’ to start our week of with. Is doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there is a lot going on Sunday mornings that compete with going to church.

So…why go to church? Especially when so many already believe in that whole ‘God thing’?’

First…churches need to up their game. I do not believe people are looking to be beat up by scripture for their humanity. And yes, there is evil in the world- but can we just accept that it is humanity and not a ‘devil’ that are the problem…and that we are the cure? That we must be the Second Coming or we shall face extinction as a species? Congregations are now deep thinkers with the gift of reason. It is important that we not insult their intelligence with simplistic 16th century explanations for the way the world works and instead offer something deeper that has reason with in it.

Second…can we recognize that the scientific method does not contain all of the answers to Life? We know a lot of stuff about a lot of things, it’s true. What was once miraculous now has a scientific explanation for many phenomena in life. And yet, how do we explain the ‘placebo effect?’ How is it that people heal from diseases that science said was incurable? Haven’t we all witnessed or experienced a healing where science said there was none to be found?

What is Love, Beauty, and Universal Truth? What holds an atom together? Does it really take 11 dimensions to make the Unified Field Theory to hold together? Why do I feel connected to others in Love? What is consciousness? Why does it appear to exist beyond biology? What is thought? Where does it go? Why am I here? Why do I matter? What is consciousness beyond biology?

The answers to such questions are not going to be answered watching the Seahawk game (though I like to think it can affect the outcome… Go ‘Hawks!)

For me the answers are pretty simple:

Folks are working hard and they’re tired. Sunday and not Saturday has become a day of rest.

Folks have fallen out of the habit of going to church; or never established the habit.

Folks do not feel ‘fed’ by their church experience.

Folks don’t want to have ‘the nick’ put on them for money.

What this means to me is what Rev. Gary Simmons has written about; “People are looking to be transformed by the experience of spiritual community”. Transformed. Period. (Rev. Gary Simmon’s teachings and ground-breaking Integral Model of Ministry are transforming church organizations.)

As a Pastor I need to give folks a good reason to be here. Not because they should be. Not because that have to be. Not because they believe in a God that can keep them safe (words by poet David Whyte). But, rather because people recognize that they have been transformed by the renewing of their minds by participating with and ultimately committing themselves to spiritual community.

I started going to church because I needed a deep change in my thinking that allowed me to integrate Spirit in my Life. And, …”I was spiritual but not religious”. I had been “religious” – just didn’t work for me any longer.

I started going to church because I came to see that the start of my work week was Sunday. I saw that I was a better business man, sweetheart, friend, human being when I began my week with Spirit in mind.

I needed to be around open-hearted people who mostly experienced the world as I generally did. Free thinkers like myself who allowed me to explore ‘spiritual but not religious’ free of expectations or indoctrination.

I need to be with other folks that honored all faith traditions; to see that there are many paths up the same mountain. I learned the Lord Buddha taught that man acts out of ignorance, that the Lord Jesus taught that there is no ‘sin’ that cannot be transformed through the act of Love.

In time I came to see that I had completely transformed my life by accepting that I AM 100% responsible for the way I express my life and my experience of that life. That in putting Spirit first I learned to love my neighbor as myself and in turned unleashed the Infinite Creative Power of the Universe Itself to express as my Life. I have been transformed by the renewing of my mind by aligning myself with the One Mind of Spirit expressing as all.

Here at the Center for Spiritual Living in Granada Hills, I know this potential for all peoples, first time visitors, long time members, and everyone in between.

Perhaps, like I once was, you are “spiritual but not religious?”

Why not ‘Treat yourself to Life’? Start your week and this New Year out right by attending Church this Sunday.

Know that you are MOST WELCOME here! If you make it to our place, make sure you say hello. I’m expectantly awaiting your visit with Joy and Love.

Knowing for you and yours, a Happy, Joyous, and Wildly Prosperous 2016!

Seven of us from CSL Granada Hills went to the Centers for Spiritual Living Convention back in February 2015 in Las Vegas. We learned a lot and grew in consciousness. We met up with our sister and brother centers. We shared, had fun, and partied hearty.

#AWorldThatWorksForEveryone

I came home with this T-Shirt from Center for Spiritual Living Apple Valley.

There are more stories, but, as we all know, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

The CSL Vision and Mission

I was thrilled to hear our leaders focus on the Center for Spiritual Living movement’s mission rather than the administration. We heard about our vision/mission focus: envisioning a world that works for everyone – where each and every person has enough food, a home, and a sense of belonging.

#AWorldThatWorksForEveryone

Knowing a world in which kinship with all life prospers and connects through the guidance of spiritual wisdom and experience.

It was all very inspiring! And then, after each presentation, we were thrown out into the casino, because every hallway and door leads to casino. Here I was in Vegas, feeling very uplifted. I wanted to take it out into the world!

Taking the CSL Message to the World on the Vegas Monorail

One night, while I was riding the monorail around, I chatted with the person next to me. I asked the woman where she was going and she said she liked the slots at the MGM. She asked me what I was in Vegas for. I told her I was at a convention. She asked me for what organization.

Here’s what I told her: “We belong to a global enterprise. We’ve got outlets all around the world.

We visit people in hospitals, prisons, and hospice centers. We have youth programs. We feed the homeless; we have educational programs. We look after people from birth to death, creating a world that world for everyone. And, we basically deal with giving people tools to change their thinking to change their life for the better.”

She said “Wow!” And asked, “What organization is that – one that does so much?”

I felt great telling her, “Centers for Spiritual Living.”

I came away from the convention feeling that this movement, this organization that I belong to – Centers for Spiritual Living – is very much in alignment with my individual personal path.

I am grateful for all of us here at Center for Spiritual Living Granada Hills coming together in spiritual community not just to socialize and have fun together (and believe me, I love doing that), but that we do focus on being meaningfully involved with service to the world; creating a world that works for everyone.

Look for and follow the hashtag #AWorldThatWorksForEveryone.

Thank you!

Do you want to hear more about Centers for Spiritual Living and #AWorldThatWorksForEveryone? Reverend Jessica is one of the ministers who preside at the Center for Spiritual Living in Granada Hills. Come and join us for a Sunday or Wednesday service or one of our classes, workshops or events to hear more!

This post is part of a series by Wayne McDonald RScp. Wayne is a licensed practitioner who writes health articles and inspires others to be pro-active in their lives.

Today’s Lesson is “What I am seeking is seeking me.”

I have several favorite declarations I use when I am faced with a challenge or looking for an answer.

“What I am seeking is seeking me” is a positive declaration that can be used for finding car keys, finding the right and perfect job, or for finding the answer to a complex question. This statement works well in an opening statement and ending with, “What I am seeking is seeking me.”

This declaration can be used as a ‘Person#1 Statement’ as outlined in “Life is Easy #1-Being at Choice”, or can be stated openly to the Universe. Example: “I am looking for a new car that is reliable transportation. I know, that what I am seeking is seeking me.”

When I am tapping into the Universal Mind, I am open and receptive to the infinite sources of answers, information, and solutions to what I am seeking to resolve.

I am always at choice. I can be angry and upset that I can not find my car keys – again, or I can ask, “I know my car keys are right here – right now. I know, what I am seeking is seeking me.”

Friends, family and the news may declare: ‘unemployment is high’, ‘nobody is hiring at this time’,‘you do not have the right skills’, ‘you are too old’, ‘you are too young’, and the list goes on. But being at choice is taking responsibility for your life. It is declaring what you want. It is looking beyond outer appearances. It is about knowing that the job you want is here, right now.

Life is Easy #2- What I am seeking is seeking me

In the first example we knew what we were looking for but we did not know where to find the keys. Sometimes [we may think] we do not have the answer and we have absolutely no clue of where to begin, or what the question is. Things that seem complex, can be broken down into multiple questions.

Example: I want to buy a house. You might have several questions

– “Can I afford a house?”

– “Where can I buy a house?”

– “What about financing and what are the best rates?”

In this example you might start with, “I am open and receptive to helpful information about buying a house. I know, what I am seeking is seeking me.”

As the information comes forth, you can gather and collect all the information. Then from these answers you can then ask the next question, like “I am looking for a beautiful home in [City] that is near schools. I know, what I am seeking is seeking me.”

With any complex problem, there is an easy answer. Ask simple questions, sort and collect information, then ask a new question, sort and collect, and continue till the problem is resolved or until you can see beyond the outside appearance.

I invite you to read the other articles of ‘Life is Easy’ and I have included other phrases that can be used as your daily affirmations to make life easier.

And to you – Love Peace Joy

And So It Is

If you enjoyed this post in the Life is Easy series, please read our other posts by contributors, ministers and practitioners, and join us for one of our Sunday or Wednesday services at the Center for Spiritual Living Granada Hills. All are welcome!